Treating the mental?

Has anyone seen a therapist or someone to treat the mental aspect of IBS?

I feel like physically I have started taking flax seed and cutting out stuff of my diet so that I don't have much in the way of attacks. Now I need to treat the mental. For example this weekend I was supposed to ride from Houston to Dallas with some friends and they wanted to leave at 7:30 in the morning. Mornings are not good for me because I don't have time to adjust things for my stomach. That is if it's upset I don't have time to take Imodium and have it take effect. Also it makes me very nervous to not be the driver, as I feel I am not in control.  I was dreading the trip all week and Friday right before bed I had a bout of diarhhea. Sure enough the next morning I had diarhea and just broke down. I took multiple doses of Imodium but it didn't take effect in time and I had to tell them I couldn't go.

I ate right to prepare for the trip and I really think my nerves just totally did me in. There is definately a physical aspect that is big, but sometimes I feel the mental is just as bad. I get so anxious about everything. I don't do a single thing in my life without thinking about my stomach, and I overthink it so much that even if my stomach is fine then I make it bad with my nerves.

Case in point, about an hour after my friends left I started feeling much better. My nerves subsided because I didn't have to fear the trip anymore.

It's become the chicken and the egg for me. When I get in a situation and my stomach bothers me I don't know what came first. Is my stomach actually bad and then I started to worry? Or did my worrying make my stomach bad?

Anybody taken a shot at therapy or relaxation techniques to help the mental aspect of IBS?

I haven't sought therapy either, mainly because our insurance would never pay for it (they won't even pay for my upcoming colonoscopy). Our copays are very, very high. Mental health coverage is a completely different story.

But I have often thought it would help to just talk this out. This is why I think these message boards are a safe haven. So many of us seem to be in the same boat.

One final thought, I have found a wonderful comfort - a dog! Our Golden seems to know when I'm really down about my IBS, when I just feel my worst, she's right there and will actually climb on top of me if I lie in bed. She then puts her head on my stomach and just lets out a huge sigh. It's the best medicine in the world!

I know you have a baby on the way though, so a puppy wouldn't be a good idea right now. But down the road, consider a pet. They listen free of charge!